McCaffrey: Andy Reid's end is in sight

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, left, and and defensive coordinator Todd Bowels, right, watch as the clock winds down on their NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won 42-7. (AP Photo/Philadelphia Daily News, David Maialetti)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The speedinggolf cart, headlights blazing in a darkened Met Life stadiumcorridor, skidded to a sudden stop, dropping Jeffrey Lurie and HowieRoseman at the door of the Eagles’ locker room. Just minutes earlier,their 4-12 regular season had reached its own jarring finish. Atlast, the offseason had begun. That ride will not be as smooth.

By Monday, Lurie will have an openingfor a head coach. Soon, he will have openings for coordinators,assistants and perhaps a quarterback. And by the time they all gatherfor the spring minicamp-a-thon, everything could be different, fromthe players to the playbook. It’s the deal Lurie had made with hisclients before the season, when he said he expected substantialimprovement from 2011, then underlined by stressing that an 8-8record would be unacceptable. So that’s the deal he will honor.

“Whatever he chooses will be right,”Andy Reid said. “He has always done what is in the best interestsof the Eagles.”

Neither the owner nor the generalmanager were visible when those locker room doors would open and thepress would enter. And if that was not unprecedented, it was rare,for even after some of the most tormenting season-ending losses underhis watch, Lurie had made himself immediately accountable, even if itwould be after his head coach had forgotten to run a hurry-up offenseand lose a Super Bowl. That kind of thing.

Advertisement

He had not been available all season — not after authorities said that steroids were found around histraining camp, not after his security guards were accused of makingfans remove an in-stadium sign critical of the operation, not afterthe losses, none of them, one after the next after the next. And sohe wouldn’t be available after the most disturbing loss of them all,a 42-7 checkout Sunday against the New York Giants.

But he can’t hide, not for much longer,not even for another day. He had gambled that the .500 season of 2011was caused by labor stoppage, multiple personnel changes, injuriesand other football follies, and after a rambling offseason blab-festhe forced Reid on his fans for one more year. The result was asmeared mess that left assistant coaches fired, players injured,seats unoccupied, fans furious and even Reid, himself, aware that hisnext meeting with the owner would be his last as an Eagles employee.

“Listen, I have been doing it a longtime,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for Jeff Lurie. My eyesare wide open. I understand. Either way, I understand. This is abusiness that I have chosen. I have been very fortunate to have beenhere as long as I have. If I am here again, I will love every minuteof it.”

Reid never was very good at managinghis minutes, which is a massive reason why he won’t have that chancefor a 15th season. Always, he behaved as if he would havemore time, even if it meant punting the ball away late in anelimination game in New Orleans. And he did have plenty of chances,for he had Lurie convinced that he would help begin that elusivecollection of golden football trophies.

By the end, though, Reid’s message wasgarbled, and so was his professional reputation. By Sunday, in an NFCEast game with some thin postseason meaning, his players rarelytackled with authority, the Giants averaging 5.3 yards per rush andEli Manning flipping five touchdown passes.

“It was nothing to be proud of,”said Michael Vick, who had suggested in the preseason that the Birdshad a potential to build, yes, a dynasty. “You don’t go throughspring training and training camp to go 4-and-12.”

That is why Lurie will act, and soon,and then begin his search for his next head coach. Professionalfootball teams do lose games. But they cannot lose a reason to beproud.

Reid would like to be back. “I’m allin,” he said. But he knew he was to meet sometime before Mondaymorning with the owner — and that his Tuesday schedule would not beso cluttered.